Of Time and Feathers
by baybaygalyean
Summary: A young girl found alone and injured in the forest. Only to be rescued by the one and only Copy Cat Ninja. Her past was rough and she has a lot to learn. Is she strong enough to overcome her insecurities and past to make a new and better future?
1. Lost Girl

In no way do I own any part of naruto. The only thing I own is my OC Sora. Thanks for reading!

People are cruel. They hate, scorn, judge, and torment others when they do not understand. They fear the unknown. They are cowards and because of fear, they alienate others. There is no excuse for nasty behavior. Many individuals are ostracised and hated, they all react in different ways. Some are pushed to react in a less than savory manner. They turn violent and murder those who have caused them such pain and anguish. They turn down a dark path that only leads to more hurt. Others grow to become stronger and prove to others that they aren't worthless, that they aren't monsters. Then you have those that run. The pain has become too much for them and they cannot handle being around any of those wretched people. One dark-haired woman has done just that. She ran.

Her name is Sora Hayashi. As a young child, she struggled to survive. She was cast out because of circumstances she couldn't control. In her early years of life, she was experimented on. The outcome had left her scarred emotionally and afraid of what she had become. The village she grew up in never accepted her. The villagers threw things at her. Rocks, spoiled food, almost anything they could get their hands on if the girl got within range. They called her names, demon, wretch, filth, monster, and much more. Although young she refused to hate the villagers. She had seen them be kind to others. She knew what it was like to fear what you didn't understand. Yes, she hated it, and it was never okay for them to go to the lengths that they did. But she never hated them. However, she also didn't like them. It was a weird combination for the young girl. She would try very hard to earn the acceptance of even one person. But they all turned away from her. No one accepted her in this small village.

Years passed and the girl started to grow. She was now 17 years of age. Her hair had grown out and her amber eyes more solemn. She began showing signs of strength which only made the villagers even more aggressive. She began to learn how to pass unnoticed for the most part. Moving silently and quickly. This helped her avoid most of the hate in town. She would train to the best of her knowledge to become stronger. However, she never retaliated when the villagers would catch her. After a particularly rough incident, she fled. She was beaten and bruised but refused to stop, terrified that the villagers would catch her. After days of wandering, she collapsed in the middle of dense woods. The pain and exhaustion had caught up with her.

-With Team 7-

"But Kakashi-sensei! Why are we even doing this!" Naruto whined as he picked up another piece of garbage. Team 7 was currently just outside the village cleaning up trash. Sakura, the pink-haired kunoichi, punched Naruto right on the top of his head.

"Naruto, you idiot! Don't talk back!" She yelled at the cowering shinobi. He grabbed his head and spouted fake tears. Sasuke scoffed at the idiocy between the two of them.

"YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANNA SAY TEME!?" Naruto screeched earning yet another hit from the aggravated kunoichi. Kakashi sighed with the immaturity of his team. This being slightly ironic as Kakashi could be immature as well. He suddenly ceased all movement and held his hand up for the others to silence themselves. They immediately were on edge. He motioned for them to stay there. He began to walk off in the direction of this unknown presence. He stalked through the trees looking out for any unknown attack. He was extremely caught off guard by the sight ahead of him. A girl, thin and frail, laid out on the ground before him. Long brown hair cascaded over the ground where she lay. He immediately ran to her and checked her vitals. She was alive but very weak. She needed medical attention as soon as possible. He quickly picked her up and ran. He gave his students the signal that everything was okay and continued into the village. Kakashi was surprised at the weight of the lost girl. Too light. He deemed her malnourished. Concern and worry crossed his masked face. She was too young to be this weak. He felt her move and looked down to see her semi-conscious. She began to flail around. He saw her instinctual fear.

"Shhh. It's all going to be fine. You are safe." Kakashi murmured to the lost girl. She slowed her movements and mumbled a thank you, before losing consciousness once more. Cursing quietly he rounded the corner and straight into the hospital. He caught a nurse quite off guard when he practically landed on top of her. Once laying eyes on the small girl, she immediately jumped into action. She called others over who took the girl from Kakashi and led her into a separate room. He couldn't help but feel confusion and concern over this lost girl. Having nothing else to do or help with, he left the hospital to check on his students.

"See you soon, Lost Girl."

-Sora-

She awoke to a massive headache and aches and pains all over her body. The pain pierced her legs, arms, and back. Sora held back a groan as she tried to open her eyes. The sudden light stung her eyes as she shut them back. Squinting through the light she opened her amber colored eyes and saw that she was in a bed as opposed to the hard ground of the forest she collapsed in. She was confused and hurting. She had no idea why she was here or how she got there. She vaguely remembered white. The feeling of someone carrying her. Who was her rescuer? What if she will be sent back? Are these people the same as her old village? Many questions and scenarios flew through her head. Sora put a hand on her head slowly sat up. A cough alerted her to the sound of a guest. She was not alone. She jerked her head in the direction of the sound. In the corner of the room stood and an old man dressed in white and red. His exterior seemed firm, but the corners of his eyes showed kindness. She stiff and wary of this man in front of her. He was obviously a man in power.

"I see you have finally awoken," he said, breaking her out of her thoughts. She nodded shyly. He saw the fear and anxiousness in her body language. He continued on, "I am sure you are aware, but there are some things that we need to discuss. And I need you to be completely honest with me." She paled at the thought of more hate and fear. He seemed to sense her distress because he elaborated. "I do not mean you any harm. Although you seem to have spooked the nurses a bit with your arrival and with a feature not normally found in people." He knew. She started to shake. He knew, and she didn't know how to handle that. He said he didn't mean her any harm but who knew what he was actually thinking or if he would change his mind. He rested a hand on her knee and gave her a very small smile. She relaxed just a bit.

"Now, why don't you fill me in." He said softly. She looked down but knew she had no way out but to explain the situation.

"W-Who are you?" She stuttered. She at least wanted to know her questioner.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."


	2. A Leaf Shinobi?

I do not own any part of Naruto. The only thing I own is my OC Sora. Thanks for reading!

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

Sora was in shock, to say the least. The Hokage was the most important person in the village. He was their leader. This could have very bad outcomes. She was afraid. She didn't want anything bad to happen. She was tired of bad happening. The Hokage once again noticed her distress.

"My dear, please relax. I only have a few questions for you. No harm will come to you." He assured her. She visibly relaxed, if only a bit. He smiled at her. "Now, what is your name, and where do you come from?"

"M-my name is Sora Hayashi. I am from a small village in the land of tea." She answered softly. He seemed to ponder on this information for awhile. The silence was deafening. Sora fidgeted about in her bed and clasped her hands together. "Um, Hokage-sama..." She trailed off losing her confidence. He looked up at the shy girl.

"Ah, I am sorry. An old man can get lost in his thoughts." This lightened the air a bit. Then he had a serious face once more. "Sora, the doctors told me they found something unusual, something of which you are well aware of." She began to get nervous again. She didn't want to talk about it. "Show me." He ordered. She knew she had no choice. As much as she didn't want to say or do anything. This was the Hokage. Sora sat up more in bed and turned to show him just what everyone called her monster for.

-Kakashi-

The white-haired ninja was taking his time to meet his students once more. He always showed up late. He always stopped at the KIA stone to honor the fallen. Both to those he knew and those he didn't know. He was on his way back from there now. He flashed and appeared on top of the bridge like normal. He was ready for the barrage of sound that was to come his way.

"YOU'RE LATE KAKASHI-SENSEI!" His two most energetic students yelled. The quiet Uchiha even looked a little peeved. Kakashi smiled and put one hand behind his head.

"Well, you see-"

"LIAR!" The two yelled interrupting their sensei. He sighed, this group of kids was too rambunctious. He jumped down in front of the three to give them their next few missions. All D-class of course. These kids were too green for anything harder, according to the Hokage.

"Sensei. What happened yesterday?" Sakura had calmed down and tilted her head to the side in asking. The other two perked up as well. They had been wondering about it since it happened.

"I found someone unconscious in the woods."

"Well, who is he Kakashi-Sensei?" The blond asked loudly.

"I have no idea." He said with an eye closed smile. His students looked disappointed. "Maybe later, we will stop by to check in on our new mystery." He said.

Each of them looked even more curious than before. Naruto was almost jumping from excitement. No doubt he thought it was a rouge ninja or something. Sasuke looked a little less bored than usual, and Sakura looked anxious. "But first! New missions for now!" Kakashi said jovially. Naruto face planted. He was tired of these tasks. "Okay, we have to clean up more garbage, weed a garden, and repair someone's roof." He said listing the tasks off. His students begrudgingly took off for their first task. He chuckled a bit at their lack of enthusiasm. Then his thoughts went back to the girl. He did hope she was okay but then turned his mind to other tasks of the day, blocking out the thoughts of the lost girl.

-Sora-

Sora turned back and faced him. His face was that of pure shock but he soon regained control on his emotions. He coughed into his head to try and cover up his surprise.

"Sora, this is quite the unusual phenomenon." He stated, looking back up at her. She refused to look him in the eyes. She was scared he would see her just as everyone else has. "My dear, please do not be afraid." He said as if reading her mind. She hesitantly looked up. In his eyes, she saw no anger or fear. Just genuine surprise and something softer she couldn't name. "You wouldn't happen to want to tell me how this happened?" He asked. She gulped and shook her head no. Hokage-sama sighed.

"H-Hokage-sama?" He looked up at the girl. She looked contemplating, working up the nerve to say something.

"Yes?" This prompted the girl to ask.

"This is a ninja village, yes?" Her stutter now gone, the Hokage eyed her curiously.

"Yes, it is."

"Is there a way I can become a ninja?" She asked looking him in the eyes. He saw raw determination. She wanted this.

"You are quite late for starting to become a ninja." Sora looked down and disappointed but tried again.

"I am strong. Physically. I can run far and I understand how chakra works. I can use it on my feet at times. Please. I want to be strong. I need to be strong." Sora begged him. He was surprised that she knew anything about chakra, let alone focus it. He frowned. She might not be too far behind. She didn't know much about taijutsu or ninjutsu, let alone genjutsu. But she had drive. She seemed weak to him right now, but even he would be weak after such a trek. He sighed.

"I will give you a probationary time. I will give you a month to increase your shinobi skills and then test you as a genin. If you pass then you can become a leaf ninja. If not, then you won't." Sora's eyes lit up.

Thank you so much Hokage-sama!" She was much more comfortable with him as she jumped up and held his hands in gratitude. He chuckled at the display.

"I will assign you a teacher for the month. I will get back to you on who it will be. For now, you need to stay in bed and get better. I will return with a teacher and a place for you to stay." He said kindly. She bowed her head in respect to the Third and thanked him once more. This girl was an interesting one. That is for sure. The Hokage smiled once more before leaving the girl alone. She sighed and leaned against her pillow. She was excited and ready to prove herself.

The door opened again, and a nurse walked in with a tray of food. Not saying a word the nurse set the tray down, took one look at Sora, then bolted. Some things never changed. Sora's mood went down a bit at the fear in the nurse's face. She looked at the tray and began to eat. She said she'd get better so that the Hokage would let her in. She needed to succeed.

-Hokage-

He called in one of the teachers at the academy and was patiently waiting at his desk for him to arrive. Not a few seconds later a knock was heard at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened to reveal a spiky haired ninja with a scar across his nose.

"Iruka, I have a task for you."


	3. New Beginnings

I do not own any of naruto. The only thing I own is my OC Sora. Thanks for reading! Please Review!

Sora reached down and pulled on a pair of dark grey pants. The staff had provided her clothes to leave in. Her old ones were thrown out due to the condition of which they were in. She slipped on the black t-shirt and sighed. Not her style of clothes, but beggars couldn't be choosers. She didn't have any money let alone extra clothes, so she was grateful. She turned the sink on and splashed water on her face letting the shock wake her up even more. She was finally released from the hospital. She had been stuck there for four days. She had regained a lot of her strength and color had returned to her face.

Suddenly a loud crash was heard down the hallway and voices yelling. Sora jumped and turned around and raced to the doorway. She stuck her head around the corner and saw four figures. One lying face first on the ground and the others looking at him in disdain. The female was yelling something about being more careful. 'What an odd group...' She sighed and went back into her room. She sat on her bed and waited for the nurse that was to let her go.

Then the four were standing in her doorway. Sora looked at them in confusion. The three younger ones stood in front of a male shinobi with white hair. The far left boy looked bored out of his mind. The girl on the right just looked mad and anxious, an odd combination. And the boy in the middle was almost jumping up and down. Sora opened her mouth to ask what was going on when...

"I AM NARUTO UZUMAKI! I'M GOING TO BECOME THE NEXT HOKAGE! BELIEVE IT!" the yellow-haired boy yelled. Sora jumped up alarmed at the sudden noise. The pink haired kunoichi nailed him on the head.

"Naruto you idiot! YOU CAN'T JUST YELL AT SOMEONE YOU HAVEN'T MET!" She roared at the sad looking Naruto. Sora sweat dropped. 'Who are these weirdos...' The kunoichi looked at her and smiled. A completely different character. "I am sorry. I am Sakura Haruno. We didn't mean to cause such a ruckus." She apologized. Sora just blinked, stone-faced. Then regrouped herself.

"Ah, It's okay. I am Sora Hayashi. Pleased to meet you Naruto, Sakura." She answered nodding to each of them. She then looked at the solemn-looking boy.

"Go on, don't be shy. You wanted to come too." The masked ninja nudged him. A light red dusted the boys cheeks.

"Sasuke Uchiha." He said looking off to the side.

"I am Hatake Kakashi. Their sensei." The masked man gave her an eye closed smile. Sora just stared at the four. They began to fidget in the silence.

"You are all very weird," Sora stated bluntly. They all fell over. Sakura began blaming Naruto for irritating Sora. Soon all three of the small shinobi were arguing amongst themselves. Sora laughed at the scene in front of her. Her voice floated over them causing them to still. They all just looked at her. She smiled at them gently.

"So what do I owe the pleasure of such guests?" she smirked at her visitors. The boy in the middle jumped up.

"Kakashi-Sensei saved you while we are a mission!" Naruto joyfully said. Sora looked over at the said masked ninja. His hand was behind his head and he had a closed eye smile.

"Thank you very much, Kakashi." Sora mumbled. Kakashi blushed at her soft voice.

"Ah, No problem at all," he replied casually. She grinned at him. Just then the nurse arrived with her papers.

"Sign these. Then leave." The nurse curtly said as she shoved her papers at Sora the stalked out of the room. The four ninja were shocked at the sound of her voice.

"What is wrong with the nurse!? That was so rude!" Naruto wailed waving his arms around. Sora motioned for him to calm down.

"It is alright I am used to it. Not many people are fond of those who are different." She said as she signed the release form. She placed it next to her bed. They were looking at her oddly but she took no heed to it. She stood up and walked toward them. She eyed them curiously. "Um. Can I leave?" She asked shyly. The four noticed they were blocking the door. They immediately scurried out so that she could exit. These kids were very odd.

"Okay, time to go finish our missions. Let us go." Kakashi ordered.

"Bye Sora!" Naruto yelled while waving his hand back and forth. Sora smiled and waved back at the excited boy. He was adorable. Soon they were out of sight. Sora sighed. They were certainly interesting.

"Uh, Miss Sora?" A male voice sounded from beside her. She jumped. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. She looked over at a young man with a scar across his nose. She nodded at him. "I am Iruka-Sensei, and I will be your instructor for the next month." He informed her. Her eyes shone with excitement.

"When do we start Iruka-Sensei!?" She leaned in, closer to his face.

"Uh, Tomorrow. 8 am. But first I am to escort you to your new apartment. It isn't super nice but it is better than nowhere." He said smiling. She nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. He began walking at started to point out things about their village. It was very beautiful. She should have run off long ago. The streets were lively and bustling about. So many vendors lined the streets, selling things from food to pottery. Sora was having a great time. Occasionally, Iruka-Sensei would point out places of interest, weapons shop, clothes shop, grocery, and more. Eventually, they came up to a small apartment complex. Iruka stuck a key in the door and stepped inside. It was quaint. The walls were empty and there was a huge lack of furniture. There was a table with two chairs for a dining room and a small couch. He led her around and there was a small room down the hallway. Inside was just a single bed and a window. She could easily spruce it up with a little work. She liked it. It was hers and hers alone.

"Okay, so your apartment is paid for, once you get a profession you will only need to pay utilities. You will be getting money from the Hokage once a week in small sums to keep you covered. This is your fist one. A bit more than normal, but that is to get you started. You'll need clothes and weapons. I made a list for training, keep up on supplies." He handed her money and a slip of paper, which she assumed held the list. "Anything else?" Sora shook her head. Iruka walked to the door but before leaving he turned back around. He held out a map and her keys. "This is it. I will see you tomorrow bright and early at the training grounds. I circled it on your map." He explained handing it to her.

"Thank you very much, Iruka-Sensei." She said lowering her head in thanks to him.

"No problem Miss Sora," he said smiling kindly. He waved once then left shutting the door behind him. Sora looked at the money in her hand, and then around at her apartment. She is happy and content. She has hope for what the future will bring.


	4. Shopping and A New Face

In no way do I own any part of Naruto. I only own my OC Sora. Sorry for the long wait with this fourth chapter. Hope you all enjoy!

Sora looked around her apartment one more time before leaving. She grabbed the money Iruka-Sensei gave her and walked out the door to go explore her new home. Sora closed her door behind her and turned the key. She immediately took off down the street and entered the first clothing shop she came across. It seemed to be a Shinobi store due to the types of clothing and wraps. Sora had never really been shopping before. She quickly went to the register.

"Uhm, Excuse me?" A small woman turned around. She seemed to be just a little older than Sora herself. She had short blond hair held out of her face with a red headband. She was very small only around 5 feet tall. Sora had her by five inches. She smiled gently at Sora.

"How can I help you?" Sora was suddenly anxious. She didn't want to seem dumb to this peer.

"I, uh, don't know what to get. I just moved here and I am not used to picking out clothes. I was, um, wondering if you would help me. Pick out clothes." Sora looked down, embarrassed.

"Of course! Come right this way!" She spun around the counter and grabbed a hold of Sora's arm. Soon, Sora's shyness and embarrassment turned to horror. Sora didn't know what she had just gotten into. The lady dragged her to the first rack. "Okay, so first I need a name before I spruce you all up." She said smiling.

"Sora Hayashi." The girl beamed at Sora's response.

"I am Asa Suisen!" She practically yelled. Sora smiled at her energy. "So what kind of things are you looking for?" Sora thought for a moment before responding.

"Well, the only clothes I have are the ones I am wearing." She said gesturing to her large clothes. "And I am starting my shinobi training tomorrow and will need clothes for that as well."

"You have no clothes?!" Asa practically screamed. Sora flinched and Asa pulled her into a tight hug. "You poor, poor, deprived child! I will help you, out of the goodness of my heart!" Asa cried dramatically. Sora rolled her eyes at the dramatic girl. Asa let her go and continued looking through racks. She made an Aha! noise and pulled out what seemed to be a navy top. It was lined with a thin strip of cream and looked to hang off her shoulders.

"How is that supposed to stay on?" Sora asked eyeing the top. Asa looked at it then pulled out a black top, that seemed to go over this shirt. It was sleeveless and tied around the back, it hooked around the back of the neck to stay up. Asa handed it to Sora then continued pulling clothes out. She handed her some black pants and shoes and then shoved her into the changing room. Sora came out minutes later. The black pants clung to her but were very easy to maneuver in. The navy boots came up to her mid-calf and had a metal plate that covered the toes. She also had a small piece of arm mesh just barely sticking out underneath her left sleeve. Sora smiled at Asa.

"This is perfect." Sora told her. Asa immediately picked out a few more pairs of everything as well as a few weapons pouches and wraps. Sora looked around a bit as Asa rung everything up. Her eyes caught some metal bands. She picked those up as well as a right-handed glove. It reached up a few inches past her elbow. She handed them to Asa. Asa handed her the bag as Sora paid. Sora turned around but paused before she left.

"Um, Asa?" Sora turned back towards the woman. She looked back up at her. "Um, if it wouldn't be a bother, can you help me with my other shopping. I am not familiar with anyone, or anything here." Sora asked looking to the side. She missed Asa's small smile.

"I would love to help you out. Let me get my brother from upstairs to cover the register then I'll be right down." She said smiling. She got up and ran up the stairs. A few moments later she was at the bottom of the stairs ready to go. Sora and Asa left the store together.

"Thank you very much. Um, I know you don't know me, and this must be weird..." Sora mumbled. Asa patted her on the back, surprising Sora.

"I don't mind at all. I love this kind of thing. And, I need a new friend. Don't you?" She asked innocently, tilting her head to the side. Sora stopped and looked at the girl incredulously.

"You would want to be friends with me?" Sora asked shocked. No one wanted to be within ten feet of her. Let alone be her friend. Asa looked at her like she was stupid.

"Of course. I mean come on, you have had friends before?" She asked. Sora shook her head. Asa gaped at her for a split second before continuing. "Then I will be your first!" She said grinning. Sora smiled back softly at the girl.

"I would like that." She answered. Asa grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nearby shop.

"So, do you have a list of some sort that you need to get handled?" She asked. Sora handed her the list Iruka-Sensei left her. She quickly scanned it, then ran to the back of the store. It was a weapons shop. Asa immediately was requesting shuriken, kunai, smoke bombs, flash bombs, and more from the man. As she was doing so, Sora was staring at a katana on the wall. It had caught her eye the moment she laid eyes on it. It had a silver grip and no guard. The sheath was black with silver swooping engravings. They were very elegant. She reached for the katana.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Sora flinched at the loud noise and recoiled. She turned and faced what seemed to be the store owner. He was an older man but had broad strong shoulders. His grey hair was cut short and wrinkles lined his mouth and eyes. He looked to be very angry.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset anyone!" Sora rushed holding her hands up. " I was just, just interested in the katana, that's all." She stammered. He looked at her and then the sword.

"Not many people just reach for katanas. You need my permission. They are dangerous." He scolded. She nodded quickly. He sighed. "But you wanting to learn?" He asked her.

"Yes, sir." She said quietly. He stayed silent for a moment.

"That's fine then. She's a fine blade. I'll throw her in with a discount to the rest of your supplies." She looked up at him in surprise. He was grinning kindly. She bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you very much!" He laughed out loud and picked the sword off the wall and put it with the rest of her things. Sora paid the man and thanked him once more before exiting with Asa.

"Okay, anything else?" Asa asked. Sora thought for a second. Bedding.

"I just need bedding and I am done." Sora told her. Asa nodded and barged into another store leaving Sora in the dust. She laughed and rushed in after her. They ended up picking up a simple blue bed set and headed back to Sora's house. They put everything up and settled for sitting on the couch in her bare living room. They talked a bit more before Asa got up to leave.

"It was nice meeting you Sora," Asa told her. Sora grinned.

"You too. Thank you very much for helping me out today."

"It was my pleasure." She responded. "I'll swing by sometime this week, that okay?" She asked.

"Of course! You are welcome anytime." Sora answered smiling. She was already happier here in the Leaf Village. Asa smiled and waved before running off home. Sora shut the door and locked it. It was already late in the evening. She went up to her room and plopped on her bed and rolled into her new sheets. Tomorrow morning was coming quicker than she thought. It was time to sleep. 8 am was coming closer and closer. She was so excited she could barely sleep. She soon forced her body into submission and fell into a deep sleep.


	5. Training

I do not own any part of the Naruto world except for Sora.

7 a.m. came around quicker than Sora had liked. she pulled herself out of bed and shuffled to her bathroom. Her bathroom. Her home. The concept was wonderful and she still couldn't believe it. this put a little more pop in her step as she headed into her shower. she turned the water on and waited for it to warm up. Soon small tendrils of steam were rolling out of the shower. Sora hopped in and sighed as the water soothed her skin. It lulled her into an almost meditative state and before long she heard her second alarm go off. Which signaled that it was 7:45...She was running late! She almost slipped in the shower in a desperate attempt to make up for lost time. She sprinted around her apartment throwing her clothes on. She couldn't be late for her first day! One last look told her that she already was, before she zoomed out the door. By the time she made it to the training field she was gasping for air. Sora looked around and saw no sight of Iruka-sensei. she breathed out a sigh of relief. Just then a loud cough sounded from behind her. startled, she spun around coming face to face with an annoyed Iruka-sensei. Her breath caught and her voice died in her throat.

"Do you know what time it is?" Iruka scowled. Sora shook her head no. He frowned even more. "It's 8:35! You're late!" a small vein popped up on his forehead. She put a hand behind her head and smiled sheepishly.

"I'm very sorry, Iruka-sensei. I lost track of time in the shower." Iruka seemed to glare even more before sighing and rubbing his forehead. The gesture caused Sora to giggle quietly. Iruka's head snapped up at the sound.

"Well if you think this is so funny, then after training today you have to do ten laps around the training ground for every minute you were late." Sora's mouth dropped open and it was Iruka's turn to almost laugh.

"But that's 350 laps!" She exclaimed. Iruka shook his head.

"No, it's 370 laps. It is now 8:37" Sora cursed her luck while Iruka just smiled. He was messing with her. He didn't expect her to run those laps. "Now let's get started. I want to know the extent of your chakra control." Sir was still frowning but nodded. " Can you climb trees?" he asked. At her confused look he demonstrated and walked straight up a tree. Determined she began to walk up the tree. She made it to a branch across from Iruka with only a few slips here and there. She had experience putting chakra into her feet to increase her speed. She assumed it would be similar to that, with just less force put into it. That was a correct assumption. Iruka smiled impressed that this girl, who had no previous ninja training, had any idea of chakra control at leapt down and motioned for her to come down as well. Once she was down, he turned to her.

"What skill do you have in Taijutsu?"

"None. I have no knowledge or skill in the matter." She murmured, ashamed. Iruka nodded.

"Then we will start with that." He walked toward an opening in the training area. "Okay. Now attack me." He commanded. She frowned a bit but complied. She ran at him throwing a right hook. Iruka easily dodged and grabbed her hand. Twisting, he threw her onto the ground. the air flew out of her lungs.

"Okay. First things first. Stand with your feet slightly further apart. you need a good stance." Iruka corrected. Sora stood up from the ground and looked at her feet before doing as he said. " Good. Next, when you want to throw a punch you need to keep in mind that you want to hurt someone. You hesitated." Sora accepted this information and raised her hands to try again. She ran forward and threw a much faster and stronger punch. This time, Iruka dodged under her arm and pushed her backwards. The surprise on her face was laughable. "You can't just throw one punch and be done. You need to think ahead." Iruka scolded. "Again."

They did this for what seemed like hours. Finally, with a sweating and exhausted Sora, Iruka stopped. She was heaving and her legs shaking.

"That's enough for today. I will see you tomorrow at the same time. Get some rest." Sora practically flopped on the ground in relief. She had never been so physically exhausted. Iruka smiled and then was gone in a cloud of smoke. Sora sipped some water and rested for a moment before standing up. She had laps to accomplish. Just because she late didn't mean she was going to slack off. She stretched for just a moment before beginning her run. It was around three o'clock, so she assumed she would have time to work on what Iruka gave her for tomorrow.

One lap down.

This would take a while. She sped up a bit in order to shorten her time. She wasn't slow by any means but this was crazy. It wasn't like her lack of muscles helped her any. But she wasn't going to give up. She needed to exceed every expectation. They wouldn't accept her otherwise. Her resolve hardened and her gait steadied. She wouldn't stop. Lap 15.

Hours have passed and the sun had fallen below the tree line. The moon was rising higher and higher into the sky. Sora was panting and almost stumbling as she ran her laps. This was exhausting. By this point, she was out of water and stumbling for the end. She was almost done. 357 laps done. Her legs were on fire, her lungs clenched, her heart beat wildly against her chest and she heaved with exertion. Sweat poured from every pore and her clothes were damp. 'Must succeed. Must succeed.' This was her mantra. She continuously thought it over and over. She needed to keep going. She wouldn't stop. 362 laps. Only 8 more. She felt hope and excitement at the prospect of less running. She increased her pace for the last 8 laps, and with the completion of the last lap, she collapsed.

-Kakashi-

He finished his training with the kids and let them go home for the night. Naruto yelled something about eating 6 bowls of ramen. Kakashi's stomach heaved at the thought. Too much food. He decided to cut through the training grounds to get home. On his walk, he heard footfalls and panting. His interest perked, he jumped into the trees and made his way silently to the sound. He stopped and saw Sora running laps. He got a little closer and heard her murmur, "368.." His eyes widened a bit. Someone as new and young as her should not have to be running this much. She stumbled a bit, but righted herself and continued running. He was slightly impressed at her determination. Suddenly, she collapsed. He started forward to help her, but she rolled over. The sight of that stopped him. She was smiling. Then she laughed out loud, the sound strained, but real. The corners of Kakashi's mouth twitched a bit before settling into a small smile. She was proud. He'd let her have that. He heard a small sound beside him and looked over to see Gai. He sweat dropped as Gai sent him one of his flashing smiles. He was so annoying. Kakashi ignored him and immediately turned on the spot, flashing out of there. In a moment Kakashi was at his door. Then, he realized. He left Sora with all that is Might Gai. He groaned but knew that it was too late now. He unlocked his door and walked inside. He pulled off his shoes and walked straight to his bed. This new girl made him wary and worry at the same time. He had carried her. He felt how fragile she was. But she was also an outsider and had secrets. He didn't like that at all. He wanted to know why he found her where he did. Or why she wants to be a ninja so badly, given how old she is. He huffed and laid down on his bed. He decided to think about it tomorrow. With that, he drifted off into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

-Sora-

She rolled over and smiled. She had done it. She laughed out loud. She had run 370 laps around the training field. Her legs felt like jelly and she was still heaving, but she felt good about it. She didn't give up. Some rustling came from the trees to her right. She sat up and her head snapped toward the sound. She stood up, wobbly, and looked around. Someone was out there. She could feel it. Just then a green blur jumped out of the trees and landed in front of her. It was a man in a skin tight jumpsuit and very thick eyebrows. He flashed her a smile.

"Ah, the Youth! I am impressed with your devotion!" He yelled striking a pose. This man was odd. But Sora smiled. He seemed nice even if a little over the top and loud. She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. "I am the Youthful and most handsome Green Beast! Might Gai!" He boasted bringing his thumb towards his chest. Sora grinned at the man, liking his gusto and humor.

"Well, Might Gai, Green Beast of Kahona, it is an honor to meet you." She praised. She saw him swell up before spewing tears of happiness. Then rushing her.

"I can see the youth pouring out of you!" He roared squeezing the life out of her.

"Um, Gai-sensei? Can you put me down." She gasped. He complied but continued grinning. Sora then did a small bow. "I am Hayashi Sora, ninja-in-training. I just moved to Kahona." She said introducing herself. Gai's eyebrows raised a bit.

"Ah, So you are the special case." Sora laughed lightly and nodded.

"Yes, but I am not very good. Especially at Taijutsu." She said grimacing, thinking back to her training with Iruka-sensei. Gai nodded his head and put his hand to his chin in thought. He the slammed his fist into his palm, with an idea.

"I will be your Taijutsu tutor! On the side of course." He said smiling. Sora's jaw dropped. Was he serious?

"You'd do that?" She asked, astounded. He laughed boisterously.

"Why of course! I cannot let such youthful behavior go without reward!" She bowed a few times.

"Thank you very much, Gai-sensei!" He smiled at this girl.

"But for now, head home. We will start tomorrow, yes?" He said gently. Sora praised whatever deity there was. She was exhausted.

"Yes, Sir!" She saluted then took off running home.


	6. The Green Beast

In no way do I own any part of the Naruto universe. I only own Sora.

Once again, Sora was running late. She was sprinting to the field and her body was not happy with the intense movements. It ached and pleaded her to stop moving. But she needed to get there. She made into the clearing to come face to face with an irritated Iruka-sensei. Sheepishly Sora rubbed the back of her head.

"Uh, Goodmorning?" she tried. Iruka broke.

"Goodmorning!? It's 9!" He raged. She flinched. She didn't mean to oversleep, she was exhausted.

"I am sorry, I overslept. Those laps killed me." She said pouting. Iruka's face froze.

"What?" He asked in disbelief.

"Those laps you had me do." Iruka started sputtering.

"I didn't think you'd actually do them!" He finally managed to get out. Sora almost fell over. "But since you can, you can do about the same amount today after training." Sora groaned.

"370?" She sighed accepting her fate. Iruka smiled.

"How about 200?" He said. Sora's face lit up. That was much better than before. She'd take it.

"Yes, sir!" She smiled. Iruka grinned a bit.

"Okay, lets get started. It's Ninjutsu today." She nodded eagerly and they got started.

Hours later

Sora was sprawled out on the ground panting again. Ninjustsu was easier for her than Taijustsu, but it still wore her out. She had just finished her 200 laps as well. She was grateful that it wasn't as many as the day before. And she didn't have to run too far. It could have been a lot worse, and for that she was thankful. It was currently late evening, her body ached all over. She huffed and stood up, it was time to begin practicing. She got into the basic stances she was taught and began slowly going through the motions. Sora connected them together as smoothly as possible yet still stumbled over every few moves.

"SORA!" The sudden yell made her fumble and fall onto her butt. She looked up at the offending person and wasn't surprised to see that the one who scared her was none other than Might Gai. Sora sighed and rubbed the back of her head.

"Hello, Gai-Sensei." She smiled wearily. Gai flashed her one of his 'famous' smiles and gave a thumbs up. He is such an odd person. A small pull had Sora look over to the left. She didn't see anyone but she felt like she was being watched.

"Why hello there, Sora! Are you ready for your lesson of youth?!" He belted. Sora flinched at his loudness but nodded and turned towards him. "Great! That's the spirit! Now copy everything I do." He ordered. His face became much more serious. Sora nodded and stood up copying everything he did. Along the way, he pointed out small hints at keeping a stronger stance along with balance. The idea was to be firm in your stance, and yet still maintain flexibility. It was grueling. Gai was patient with her but she struggled. They started alternating Taijutsu forms with strength building exercises.

"Gai-Sensei, can you show me that once more?" Sora asked, on a particular stance. It was different than what Iruka had shown her. Gai smiled and formed stance slowly putting his right foot in front. He bent his left leg and had it almost facing perpendicular and a few feet behind the right foot. "Remember, you need to keep most of your weight on the left foot. But do not completely balance on just the left." Sora nodded and tried to mimic the stance.

"Yes, that's it." He praised. Sora smiled lightly.

"What is this stance good for, sensei? I know something similar from Iruka, but not exactly the same." Sora asked.

"This stance is a simple one, for a complex fighting style," Gai answered. Sora frowned. "This stance incorporates speed. Intense speed. Because of the weight on the back foot, you can fire yourself forward in an immediate attack. It is very useful, especially for someone your size. You may be forced to face someone much larger or stronger than yourself. This also allows your attack to be much stronger due to the velocity at which you may travel." Gai explained. Sora's eyes widened. This was perfect.

"However, you need to gain speed, so let's run suicides as fast as we can!" Gai yelled and started to run the lines. Sora began sprinting as well. She needed to be able to do this.

A few more hours passed by and it was completely dark outside. Sora was shaking with exhaustion and covered in sweat. Gai stopped and looked at her.

"Good job today, Sora. Keep this up and you'll be a taijutsu master!" He laughed.

"I doubt that sensei. But I do feel a lot better about the forms. Your lesson helped a lot." Sora thanked him.

"Here, put these weights on your arms and legs. We will up the weight every other day or so." Sora groaned a bit. But then grinned.

"Yes, sensei." She responded.

"You are so youthful!" He cried. He began running around even more in joy. Then spun around quickly.

"Let's get ramen to celibrate!" He roared, then pointed into the trees to the left of them. "Kakashi, my eternal rival! You should come as well!" Sora frowned and looked over into the trees where she had felt the presence. Kakashi appeared under one of the trees. Sora narrowed her eyes. 'Why was he there?' She didn't know why he was interested in what they were doing. 'Maybe you aren't allowed two Sensei's?' Either way, she wanted to know.

"Yes, Kakashi-san. I would also like to know why you hid out in a tree for such a long while." Sora said smiling, devoid of humor. Kakashi laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Naw, I think I'll just head home." He responded. Sora's eyes glinted.

"Oh no, I insist." She said with another eye-closed smile. Kakashi sweat dropped.

"Well, okay then..." He consented. Gai pumped a fist in the air.

"The youth in this area is astounding! I love it!" He said once again throwing a hand in the air. Sora had picked up her things and was waiting for Gai. The three of them walked the short distance to the Ramen shop. They all sat up at the bar.

"What can I get for you?" The man asked. Gai ordered Shoyu Ramen, Kakashi ordered Shio ramen, and Sora got Miso Ramen. The man hurried off and soon there was three steaming bowls of ramen sitting in front of them. Sora had never really tried ramen so she was skeptical. She was sitting in between the two and just stared at it. Gai immediately began to eat. She looked at Gai then Kakashi and saw that he hadn't eaten yet either. A thought occurred to her. He hadn't started because of his mask. She immediately turned away. Kakashi made a small questioning noise.

"Sorry, Kakashi-san, I completely forgot about your mask. I will face this way until you have finished." She said smiling slightly. Kakashi was taken aback. Normally people were crawling over each other to see his face. It was refreshing that this woman didn't.

"Why haven't you eaten yet then?" He asked her. She watched her ramen again.

"Well, I've never had ramen before." She answered truthfully. All sound stopped next to her. She looked over at Gai, who was staring at her now. "What?" She asked.

"You have never had ramen before?" He said. Sora shook her head.

"Before, I couldn't ever afford it, and recently I have only bought a few groceries." She hesitantly took a bite. It was very good. She wished she had this experience earlier on in life. Kakashi and Gai felt bad for Sora. Ramen wasn't very expensive at all. It was cheap. For someone to not be able to afford ramen, meant that they were extremely poor.

"This is good." She mumbled taking another bite. Kakashi laughed lightly and Gai had a huge smile spread across his face. "So, Kakashi-san, why were you watching Gai-sensei teach me today?" Sora asked still facing her ramen. She heard him cough lightly.

"I was in the neighborhood and stopped by for a few minutes." He responded smoothly.

"Hm. Is that so? Then why were you there for more than an hour if it was just a few minutes?" She asked again. He sputtered a bit. He didn't realize at what point she noticed him. He didn't think to disguise himself to well because she was so inexperienced. The fact that he did arose questions about why she would be so alert, even when training. That wasn't normal for young students. Even at her age.

"Ah, haha. Got me. I was curious of our new prospective, genin." He answered, holding his questions for a later date. Sora nodded taking this answer. Sora had finished her ramen and got up and thanked the man for the meal.

"Gai-sensei, thank you again for working with me. I'll see you guys tomorrow!" She said and turned around to head home.

"Goodbye, my studious student!" Gai wailed waving his arms back and forth. Kakashi just lazily threw a hand up in the air. Sora chuckled to herself and continued on her way home.

Once there she threw her stuff on her bed and jumped in the shower. The dirt and grime needed to be washed away. She scrubbed diligently and eventually was satisfied. She took a moment to contemplate how she got where she was. It was incredibly lucky. She could have died in the woods before ever getting to Kahona. Or she may have not been able to make it out of her village. She got out and turned off the shower. Looking into the mirror, she could already see that she was losing a bit of that starved kid look. Not much but just a little bit. Shows how much food and good sleep make someone better. Sighing she dried off and slipped into her bed clothes, a simple black shirt and some red shorts. She covered up and laid in her bed, and soon was lost to the world of the conscious.


	7. The Test

In no way do I own any part of Naruto. I only own Sora. Enjoy!

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A month had flown by, and Sora was anxious. Today was the day she was tested in order to become a genin. She needed this. She had to get stronger. It was the only option. She wanted to be someone who could take care of herself. This was her way of doing so. She had trained hard with Iruka-sensei and Gai-sensei. Every once in awhile, even Kakashi would help out. It was wonderful to learn with all of them. She admired them. They became friends in this aspect. It started with the first time the three of them went out for ramen, and after that, they just hung out a little bit more. She smiled at the thought. They were great people. She reminded herself to thank them afterwards, no matter the outcome.

Sora got to the exam a little early, which was surprising since she showed up late to everything else. She began pacing outside of the room. Her mind was on overdrive and she began to panic. Doubt was entering her mind and it was starting to cripple her. It was maddening. A hand appeared on her shoulder, startling her out of her panic and caused her to whip around. It was Iruka-sensei.

"You will end up wearing holes on the floor with how much pacing you are doing." He said with a soft smile. Sora returned the smile.

"I am sorry. I am just very nervous." Iruka nodded knowingly.

"You've trained a lot, we just need to show the panel that." He responded. "Don't doubt yourself." Sora nodded and began focusing on all she had learned.

The door to the exam room abruptly opened.

"Sora Hayashi. We are ready for you." The proctor announced and led her and Iruka-sensei in. The panel consisted of three people. She strode into the room with faked confidence. Her insides were boiling.

"Are you ready to begin?" A man on the left asked.

"Yessir," Sora responded calmly. The judges looked at each other before beginning the exam.

"We need you to produce three clones." The first ordered. Sora nodded and formed the sign. She exhaled, then performed the Jutsu. Three replicas appeared in a puff of smoke next to her. The first judge nodded and wrote something on the paper in front of him.

"Next, we will need to judge your stamina and strength." The second judge said while standing up. He motioned for Sora to follow him out the back. They were in an open space that contained a small forest in front of them. "At the end of this forest is a scroll. We need you to retrieve it as fast as possible." He instructed. "Go."

Sora bolted into the trees, jumping over roots and fallen logs. At one point she infused a bit of chakra into her feet to enhance the speed. She was practically flying through the woods. She got to the end and saw the scroll. She quickly went to pick it up and made to turn around. But the scroll didn't leave the pedestal. She looked at it more closely before using two hands to pick it up. It was heavy. Extremely heavy. She held it against her chest and began to run again. The chakra in her feet amplified a bit to give her a bigger push. She was starting to tire and lose hope before she made it out of the entrance and to the judge. She dropped the scroll on the ground with a loud thump. He didn't say anything as he turned around to head back inside. The last judge had come out to see Sora.

"With this last task, you will demonstrate your taijutsu skills against one of our own ninja." The last judge nodded for someone to enter the room. A large man came out from inside the building and stood across from Sora. She immediately sized him up. He was at least twice her size. He looked to contain a lot of bulk muscle as opposed to lean muscle. Thank God Gai-sensei gave her so many lessons. He took one look at her and scoffed. He wasn't intimidated or felt challenged at all.

"Are you ready, girl?" he asked in a low booming voice. Sora said nothing but got into her fighting stance. The one Gai-sensei had her work so hard on. The left foot was bent and the right was barely on the ground. He looked at what appeared to be a weak defensive stance before grinning and running to her. He raised a hand to punch and Sora leaped forward from her left foot. Using, even more, chakra, she flung herself under the arm and punched him three times in the gut, before jumping back. He bent over a little bit, before beginning to try again. Sora repeated her pattern in different ways. Sometimes she would jump left to avoid a kick and try and swipe the leg. Other times she would jump up and aim a kick at the face. On one such attempt, he grabbed her leg and flung her towards the ground. She hit hard and landed in a heap. She quickly stood back up grimacing. She decided to change her form again. This time, she stood straight up, with her knees slightly bent and her arms crossed in front of her body. The man hesitated before charging at her. He swung an arm in and Sora ducked, absorbing some of the blow above the X she created with her arms. She then used his momentum and wrapped her arms around his and threw him over her shoulder onto the unforgiving ground. He grunted with the impact.

"That's enough." The judge stepped in. Sora straightened up, but her breath was still uneven. "Come inside and wait." He said gesturing for her to sit down just outside the door. She complied and took a seat. He shut the door behind him as he went to converse with the other judges.

Sora was a bundle of nerves. They had her waiting for what seemed like hours. She had to start drumming on her legs to try and get rid of the tension. Her breath was starting to get shallower and shallower. At this rate, she was going to pass out. She then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, counting. She counted her inhalations as well as her exhalations in order to regulate her breathing. Soon her breathing had evened out and she was more relaxed. The anxiety was still there, but not to the extent of hyperventilating.

The door opened.

"Sora, you may enter." A man said. Sora quickly stood up, maybe too quickly as she almost bumped into the person opening the door. A shy sorry escaped her mouth before following him inside. He took a seat at the table and looked at his fellow judges. They seemed to be communicating non-verbally, which was starting to irritate Sora. She had been waiting for the outcome. Suddenly all three judges looked at her. She froze. The held out a forehead protector to her.

"Congratulations, Sora Hayashi. Welcome to Kahona."

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Thanks for reading! Comment and Review below! I should have the next chapter out by next week. See you all then!


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